4Sami, Amir and the Truth About Feelings

In a small, beautiful village lived two friends: Sami, who loved running in the wide fields, and Amir, who loved climbing tall trees. But Sami sometimes felt he wasn’t fast enough, and Amir felt he couldn’t climb like his friends.

One day, after a race at school, Sami sat beneath a tree, sad because he hadn’t won. At the same time, Amir was trying to climb the tallest tree in the park, and couldn’t reach the top.

“Feelings are not facts.”

Sami came by and found Amir sitting on the tree trunk. He sat beside him and asked why he was sad. Amir said he felt he wasn’t good at climbing, and Sami said he felt he wasn’t fast.

Amir smiled and said, “But you always keep trying and never stop, and that makes you fast in your own way!” Sami smiled and said, “And you always climb high, and even if you don’t reach the top, every time you reach a new height!”

So the two friends decided to train together: Sami would help Amir climb, and Amir would encourage Sami to run faster.

In time they learned that feeling not good enough was just a passing thought, and that effort and mutual encouragement were what made them better. They stopped measuring their worth by winning or reaching the top, and began measuring it by friendship and support. Whenever one of them doubted, the other reminded him: “Feelings are not facts, and together we can.”